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d'images  n^cessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


D 


32X 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

"  i     ■ 


Tin:  tiroiiY 


01' 


m- 


OllU-H  WISM MAN. 


THE   STORY  OF  THE 
OTHER     WISE     MAN 


Ol 


TF 


THE  STORY  OF  THE 
OIHER   WISE    MAN 


BY 


HENRY  VAN   UVKE 


I   H 


HARPFR     "^      BROTHERS 

NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 

THK  MUSSON   BOOK   COMPANY,  LlMni-D 
TORONTO 


SIC 


Copyright,  1395, 1899,  by  Harper  &  Brothers 
A II  rights  ftsefvtd 


I 


Who  seeks  for  heaven  alone  to  save  his  soul, 
May  keep  the  path,  but  will  not  reach  the  goal; 
While  he  who  walks  in  love  may  wander  far. 
Yet  God  will  bring  him  where  the  blessed  are. 


I 


CONTENTS 


Preface  .         .         , 

The  Sign  in  the  Sky   . 

By  THE  Waters  of  Babylon  , 

For  THE  Sake  of  a  Little  Child 

In  the  Hidden  Way  of  Sorrow 

A  Pearl  of  Great  Price 


PAGE 

vii 

3 

31 

53 
69 

81 


PREFACE 

It  is  now  some  five  years  since 
this  little  story  was  set  afloat  on 
the  sea  of  books.  It  is  not  a  man- 
of-war,  nor  even  a  high-sided 
merchantman  ;  only  a  small,  peace- 
ful sailing  vessel.  Yet  it  has  had 
rather  an  adventurous  voyage. 
Twice  it  has  fallen  into  the  hands 
of  pirates.  The  tides  have  carried 
it  to  far  countries.  It  has  been 
passed  through  the  translator's 
port  of  entry  into  German,  French, 
Armenian,  Turkish,  and  perhaps 
some  other  foreign  regions.     Once 

vii 


i'l 

I 


PREFACE 

I    caught   sight    of    it   flying   the 
outlandish    flag    of    a   brand-new 
phonetic  language  along  the  coasts 
of  France  ;  and  once  it  was  claimed 
by  a  dealer  in  antiquities  as  a  long, 
lost  legend  of  the  Orient.     Best  of 
all,  it  has  slipped  quietly  into  many 
a  far-away  harbour  that  1  have  never 
seen,  and  found  a  kindly  welcome, 
and  brought  back  messages  of  good 
cheer  from  unknown  friends. 

Now  it  has  turned  home  to  be 
new-rigged  and  fitted  for  further 
voyaging.  Before  it  is  sent  out 
agam  I  have  been  asked  to  tell 
where  the  story  came  from  and 
what  it  means. 

I  do  not  know  where  it  came 
from--out    of    the    air,    perhaps. 


VIU 


PREFACE 

One  thing  is  certain,  it  is  not 
written  in  any  other  book,  nor  is 
It  to  be  found  among  the  ancient 
lore  of  the  East.  And  yet  I  have 
never  felt  as  if  it  were  my  own.  It 
was  a  gift.  It  was  sent  to  me  ; 
and  it  seemed  as  if  I  knew  the 
Giver,  though  His  name  was  not 
spoken. 

The  year  had  been  full  of  sickness 
and   sorrow.     Every  day  brought 
trouble.   Everynight  was  tormented 
with  pain.     They  are  very  long— 
those  nights  when  one  lies  awake, 
and  hears  the  labouring  heart  pump- 
ing wearily  at  its  task,  and  watches 
for    the    morning,    not    knowing 
whether  it  will  ever  dawn.     They 
are    not   nights   of  fear  ;  for   the 


IX 


PREFACE 

thought  of  death  grows  strangely 
familiar  when  you  have  lived  with 
it  for  a  year.  Besides,  after  a  time 
you  come  to  feel  like  a  soldier  who 
has  been  long  standing  still  under 
fire  ;  any  change  would  be  a  relief. 
But  they  are  lonely  nights  ;  they 
are  very  heavy  nights.  And  their 
heaviest  burden  is  this  : 

You  must  face  the  thought  that 
your  work  in  the  world  may  be 
almost  ended,  but  you  know  that 
it  is  not  nearly  finished. 

You  have  nor  solved  the  problems 
that  perplexed  you.  You  have  not 
reached  the  goal  that  you  aimed 
at.  You  have  not  accomplished 
the  great  task  that  you  set  for 
yourself.     You    are    still    on    the 


PREFACE 


way ;  and  perhaps  your  journey 
must  end  now, — nowhere, — in  the 
dark. 

Well,  It  was  in  one  of  these  long, 
lonely  nights  that  this  story  came 
to  me.     I   had  studied  and  loved 
the  curious  tales  of  the  Three  Wise 
Men  of  the  East  as  they  are  told 
in  the  "  Golden  Legend  ''  of  Jacobus 
de    Voragine  and  other   medieval 
books.     But  of  the  Fourth  Wise 
Man  I  had  never  heard  until  that 
night.     Then  I  saw  him  distinctly, 
moving  through  the  shadows  in  a 
little  circle  of  light.     His  counte- 
nance was  as  clear  as  the  memory 
of  my  father's  face  as  I  saw  it  for 
the  last  time  a  few  months  before. 
The    narrativ.    of  his  journeyings 


XI 


n 


■; 


PREFACE 

and  trials  and  disappointments  ran 
without  a  break.  Even  certain 
sentences  came  to  me  complete  and 
unforgettable,  clear-cut  like  a  cameo. 
All  that  I  had  to  do  was  to  follow 
Artaban,  step  by  step,  as  the  tale 
went  on,  from  the  beginning  to  the 
end  of  his  pilgrimage. 

Perhaps  this  may  explain  some 
things  in  the  story.  I  have  been 
asked  many  times  why  I  made  the 
Fourth  Wise  Man  tdl  a  lie,  in  the 
cottage  at  Bethlehem,  to  save  the 
little  child's  life. 

I  did  not  make  him  tell  a  lie. 
What  Artaban  said  to  the  soldiers 
he  said  for  himself,  because  he  could 
not  help  it. 

Is  a  lie  ever  justifiable  ?    Perhaps 

xu 


PREFACE 

not.     But  may  It  not  sometimes  be 
inevitable  ? 

And  if  it  were  a  sin,  might  not 
a  man  confess  it,  and  be  pardoned 
for  it  more  easily  than  for  the 
greater  sin  of  spiritual  selfishness, 
or  indifference,  or  the  betrayal  of 
innocent  blood  ?  That  is  what  1 
saw  Artaban  do.  That  is  what  I 
heard  him  say.  All  through  his 
life  he  was  trying  to  do  the  best 
that  he  could.  It  was  not  perfect. 
But  there  are  some  kinds  of  failure 
that  are  better  than  success. 

Though  the  story  of  the  Fourth 
Wise  Man  came  to  me  suddenly 
and  without  labour,  there  was  a  great 
deal  of  study  and  toil  to  be  done 
before  it  could  be  written  down. 

xiii 


PREFACE 

An  idea  arrives  without  effort ;  a 
^orm  can  only  be  wrought  out  by 
patient  labour.     If  your   story  is 
worth  telling,  you  ought  to  love  it 
enough  to  be  willing  to  work  over 
It  until  ,t  is  true,-true  not  only  to 
the  Ideal,  but  true  also  to  the  real. 
The  light  is  a  gift ;  but  the  local 
colour  can  only  be  seen  by  one  who 
looks   for    it    long    and    steadily. 
Artaban  went  with  me  while  I  toiled 
through   a   score    of    volumes   of 
ancient  history  and  travel.     I  saw 
his   figure   while   I  journeyed   on 
the   motionless   sea  of  the  desert 
and   in  the   strange   cities   of  the 
llast. 

And  now  that  his  story  is  told, 
what  does  it  mean  ? 


PREFACE 

How  can  I  tell?  What  does 
life  mean  ?  If  the  meaning  could 
be  put  into  a  sentence  there  would 
be  no  need  of  telling  the  story. 

Henry  van  Dvke. 


zv 


You  know  the  story  of  the  Three 
frise  Men  of  the  East,  md  how  they 
travelled  from  far  away  to  offer  their 
gtfts  at  the  manger.cradle  in  Bethlehem. 
But  have  you  ever  heard  the  story  of 
the  Otherwise  Man,  who  also  saw  the 
star  m  its  rising,  and  set  out  to  follow 
tt,  yet  did  not  arrive  with  his  brethren 
in  the  presence  of  the  young  child  Jesus  ? 
Of  the  great  desire   of  this  fourth 
ptlgnm,  and  how  it  was  denied  yet 
accomplished  in  the  denial,  of  his  many 
■wanderings  and  the  probations  of  his 
soul;  of  the  long  way  of  his  seeking 
and  the  strange  way  of  his  finding,  the 
One  whom  he  sought— I  would  tell  the 
talc  as  I  have  heard  fragments  of  it  in 
the  Hall  of  Dreams,  in  the  palace  of 
the  Heart  cfMan. 


XVJ 


THE   SIGN   IN   THE   SKY 


B 


t 


'*--^^'^'- u'lJL. 


THE  SIGN   IN  THE  SKY 

In  the  days  when  Augustus  C^sar 
was    master   of   many   kings    and 
Herod  reigned  in  Jerusalem,  there 
lived   in    the    city    of    Ecbatana, 
among  the  mountains  of  Persia,  a 
certain   man   named   Artaban,  the 
Median.     His   house   stood   close 
to   the    outermost    of    the    seven 
walls    which    encircled    the    royal 
treasury.     From  his  roof  he  could 
look   over   the    rising   battlements 
of   black   and   white  and  crimson 
and   blue  and  red  and    silver   and 
gold,  to  the  hill  where  the  summer 


B  2 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 

palace  of  the  Parthian  emperors 
glittered  like  a  jewel  in  a  sevenfold 
crown. 

Around  the  dwelling  of  Artaban 
spread  a  fair  garden,  a  tangle  of 
flowers  and  fruit  trees,  watered  by 
a  score  of  trees   descending  from 
the  slopes  of  Mount  Orontes,  and 
made  musical  by  innumerable  birds. 
But  all  colour  was  lost  in  the  soft 
and  odourous  darkness  of  the  late 
September   night,   and   all   sounds 
were   hushed   in   the   deep   charm 
of  its   silence,   save   the   splashing 
of    the   water,    like    a   voice   half 
sobbing  and  half  laughing   under 
the  shadows.    High  above  the  trees 
a  dim  glow  of  light  shone  through 
the  curtained  arches  of  the  upper 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 

chamber,  where  the  master  of  the 
house  was  holding  council  with 
his  friends. 

He    stood    by   the    doorway   to 
greet  his  guests— a  tall,  dark  man 
of  about  forty  years,  with  brilliant 
eyes  set  near    together   under  his 
broad  brow,  and  firm  lines  graven 
around  his  fine,  thin  lips  ;  the  brow 
of  a  dreamer  and  the  mouth  of  a 
soldier,  a  man  of  sensitive  feeling 
but   inflexible    will— one   of  those 
who,  in  whatever  age  they  may  live, 
are  born  for  inward  conflict  and  a 
life  of  quest. 

His  robe  was  of  pure  white  wool, 
thrown  over  a  tunic  of  silk  ;  and  a 
white,  pointed  cap,  with  long  lapels 
at  the  sides,  rested  on  his  flowing 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 


H    A*  ' 


l    li 


black  hair.  It  was  the  dress  of  the 
ancient  priesthood  of  the  Magi, 
called  the  fire-worshippers. 

*' Welcome!"  he  said,  in  his 
low,  pleasant  voice,  as  one  after 
another  entered  the  room- "  wel- 
come, Abdus  ;  peace  be  with  you, 
Rhodaspes  and  Tigranes,  and  with 
you  my  father,  Abgarus.  You 
are  all  welcome,  and  this  house 
grows  bright  with  the  joy  of  your 
presence." 

There  were  nine  of  the  men, 
differing  widely  in  age,  but  alike  in 
the  richness  of  their  dress  of  many- 
coloured  silks,  and  in  the  massive 
golden  collars  around  their  necks, 
marking  them  as  Parthian  nobles, 
and  in  the  winged  circles  of  gold 

6 


i 


' 


^ 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 

resting  upon  their  breasts,  the  sign 
of  the  followers  of  Zoroaster. 

They  took  their  places  around  a 
small  black  altar  at  the  end  of 
the  room,  where  a  tiny  flame  was 
burning.  Artaban,  standing  beside 
it,  and  waving  a  barsom  of  thin 
tamarisk  branches  above  the  fire, 
fed  it  with  dry  sticks  of  pine  and 
fragrant  oils.  Then  he  began  the 
ancient  chant  of  the  Yasna,  and 
the  voices  of  his  companions 
joined  in  the  beautiful  hymn  to 
Ahura-Mazda  : 

We  worship  the  Spirit  Divine,  all  wisdom 

and  goodness  possessing, 
Surroanded  by  Holy  Immortals,  the  givers 

of  bounty  and  blessing, 
We  joy  in  the  works  of  His  hands,  His 

truth  and  His  power  confessing. 

7 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 


I » 


We  praise  all  the  things  that  are  pure,  for 
these  are  His  only  Creation  ; 

The  thoughts  that  are  true,  and  the  words 
and  deeds  that  have  won  approbation, 

These  are  supported  by  Him,  and  for  these 
we  make  adoration. 

Hear  us,  O  Mazda  !     Thou  livest  in  truth 

and  in  heavenly  gladness  ; 
Cleanse  us  from  falsehood,  and  keep  us  from 

evil  and  bondage  to  badness  ; 
Pour  out  the  light  and  the  joy  of  Thy  life 

on  our  darkness  and  sadness. 

Shine  on  our  gardens  and  fields, 

Shine  on  our  working  and  weaving  ; 

Shine  on  the  whole  race  of  man, 
Believing  and  unbelieving  ; 
Shine  on  us  now  through  the  night. 
Shine  on  us  now  in  Thy  might, 

The  flame  of  our  holy  love  and  the  song  of 
our  worjhip  receiving. 

The   f5.re  rose   with    the   chant, 
throbbing  as   if  it  were  made  of 

8 


\ 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SK.Y 


'% 


musical  flame,  until  it  cast  a  bright 
illumination  through  the  whole 
apartment,  revealing  its  simplicity 
and  splendour. 

The  floor  was  laid  with  tiles  of 
dark  blue,  veined  with  white  ; 
pilasters  of  twisted  silver  stood 
out   against    the    blue   walls ;    the 

clear- story  of  round-arched  windows 
above  them  was  hung  with  azure 
silk  ;  the  vaulted  ceiling  was  a 
pavement  of  sapphires,  like  the 
body  of  heaven  in  its  clearness, 
sown  with  silver  stars.  From  the 
four  corners  of  the  roof  hung  four 
golden  magic-wheels,  called  the 
tongues  of  the  gods.  At  the 
eastern  end,  behind  the  altar,  there 
were    two     dark     red    pillars    of 


i 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 

porphyry  ;  above  them  a  lintel  of 
the  same  stone,  on  which  was 
carved  the  figure  of  a  winged 
archer  with  his  arrow  set  to  the 
string  and  his  bow  drawn. 

The  doorway  between  the  pillars, 
which  opened  upon  the  terrace  of 
the  roof,  was  covered  with  a  heavy 
curtain    of    the   colour   of  a   ripe 
pomegranate,     embroidered     with 
innumerable  golden  rays  shooting 
upward  from  the  floor.     In  effect 
the  room  was  like  a  quiet,  starry 
night,  all  azure  and  silver,  flushed 
in  the  east  with  rosy  promise  of 
the  dawn.     It  was,  as  the  house  of 
a  man  should  be,  an  expression  of 
the    character    and  spirit    of    the 
master. 

10 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 

He  turned  to  his  friends  when 
the  song  was  ended,  and  invited 
them  to  be  seated  on  the  divan  at 
the  western  end  of  the  room. 

"  You  have  come  to  night,"  said 
he,  looking  around  the  circle,  "  at 
my  call,  as  the  faithful  scholars  of 
Zoroaster,  to  renew  your  worship 
and  rekindle  your  faith  in  the  God 
of  Purity,  even  as  this  fire  has  been 
rekindled  on  the  altar.  We  worship 
not  the  fire,  but  Him  of  whom  i. 
is  chosen  symbol,  because  it  is  the 
purest  of  all  created  things.  It 
speaks  to  us  of  one  who  is  Light 
and  Truth.  Is  it  not  so,  my 
father  ?  " 

"  It  is  well  said,  my  son," 
answered   the   venerable   Abgarus. 

11 


I 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 

"The  enlightened  are  never  idol- 
aters. They  lift  the  veil  of  the 
form  and  go  into  the  shrine  of  the 
reality,  and  new  light  and  truth  are 
coming  to  them  continually  through 
the  old  symbols.** 

"  Hear  me,  then,  my  father  and 
my   friends,*'    said    Artaban,   very 
quietly,  ''while  I  tell   you  of  the 
new  light  and  truth  that  have  come 
to  me  through  the  most  ancient  of 
all  signs.     We  have  searched  the 
secrets    of    nature    together,    and 
studied  the  healing  virtues  of  water 
and  fire  and  the  plants.     We  have 
read  also  the  books  of  prophecy  in 
which  the  future  is  dimly  foretold 
in  words  that  are  hard  to  under- 
stand.     But   the    highest    of    all 

12 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 

learning  is  the  knowledge  of  the 
stars.  To  trace  their  courses  is  to 
untangle  the  threads  of  the  mystery 
of  life  from  the  beginning  to  the 
end.  If  we  could  follow  them 
perfectly,  nothing  would  be  hidden 
from  us.  But  is  not  our  knowledge 
of  them  still  incomplete  ?  Are 
there  not  many  stars  still  beyond 
our  horizon — lights  that  are  known 
only  to  the  dwellers  in  the  far 
south-land,  among  the  spice-trees 
of  Punt  and  the  gold-mines  of 
Ophir  ? " 

There  was  a  murmur  of  assent 
among  the  listeners. 

"  The  stars,*'  said  Tigranes, 
are  the  thoughts  of  the  Eternal. 
They   are    numberless.       But    the 

13 


i 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 

thoughts  of  man  can  be  counted, 
like  the  years  of  his  life.  The 
wisdom  of  the  Magi  is  the  greatest 
of  all  wisdoms  on  earth,  because  it 
knows  its  own  ignorance.  And 
that  is  the  secret  of  power.  We 
keep  men  always  looking  and  wait- 
ing for  a  new  sunrise.  But  we 
ourselves  know  that  the  darkness 
is  equal  to  the  light,  and  that  the 
conflict  between  them  will  never  be 
ended." 

"That  does  not  satisfy  me," 
answered  Artaban,  "for,  if  the 
waiting  must  be  endless,  if  there 
could  be  no  fulfilment  of  it,  thqn 
it  would  not  be  wisdom  to  look 
and  wait.  We  should  become  like 
those  new  teachers  of  the  Greeks, 

14 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 


who  say  that  there  is  no  truth,  and 
that  the  only  wise  men  are  those 
who  spend  their  lives  in  discovering 
and  exposing  the  lies  that  have 
been  believed  in  the  world.  But 
the  new  sunrise  will  certainly  dawn 
in  the  appointed  time.  Do  not 
our  own  books  tell  us  that  this 
will  come  to  pass,  and  that  men 
will  see  the  brightness  of  a  great 
light  ?  " 

"That  is  true,"  said  the  voice 
of  Abgarus  ;  "  every  faithful  dis- 
ciple of  Zoroaster  knows  the 
prophecy  of  the  Avesta  and  carries 
the  word  in  his  heart.  'In  that 
day  Sosiosh  the  Victorious  shall 
arise  out  of  the  number  of  the 
prophets     in     the     east     country. 

15 


l/ 


II 

I! 
I' 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 

Around  him  shall  shine  a  mighty 
brightness,  and  he  shall  make  life 
everlasting,      incorruptible,       and 

immortal,  and  the  dead  shall  rise 

•    » »» 
agam. 

"This  is  a  dark  saying,"  said 
Tigranes,  "  and  it  may  be  that  we 
shall  never  understand  it.  It  is 
bettier  to  consider  the  things  that 
are  near  at  hand,  and  to  increase  the 
influence  of  the  Magi  in  their  own 
country,  rather  than  to  look  for  one 
who  may  be  a  stranger,  and  to  whom 
we  must  resign  our  power." 

The  others  seemed  to  approve 
these  words.  There  was  a  silent 
feeling  of  agreement  manifest 
among  them ;  their  looks  responded 
with    that    indefinable    expression 

16 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 

which  always  follows  when  a  speaker 
has  uttered  the  thought  that  has 
been  slumbering  in  the  hearts  of  his 
listeners.  But  Artaban  turned  to 
Abgarus  with  a  glow  on  his  face, 
-and  said  : 

"My  father,   I    have  kept  this 
prophecy  in  the  secret  place  of  my 
soul.     Religion  without  a  great  hope 
would   be  like  an  altar  without   a 
living  fire.    And  now  the  flame  has 
burned  more  brightly,  and  by  the 
light  of  it  I  have  read  other  words 
which  also   have   come   from   the 
fountain  of  Truth,  and  speak  yet 
more  clearly  of  the  rising  of  the 
Victorious  One  in  his  brightness." 
He  drew  from  the  breast  of  his 
tunic  two  small  rolls  of  fine  linen, 

17  c 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 

with  writing  upon  them,  and 
unfolded  them  carefully  upon  his 
knee. 

"  In  the  years  that  are  lost  in  the 
past,  long  before  our  fathers  came 
into    the    land  of  Babylon,   there 
were  wise  men  in    Chaldea,  from 
whom  the  first  of  the  Magi  learned 
the  Secret  of  the  heavens.     And  of 
these  Balaam  the  son  of  Beor  was 
one  of  the   mightiest.     Hear  the 
words    of  his   prophecy  :    '  There 
shall  come  a  star  out  of  Jacob,  and 
a  sceptre  shall  arise  out  of  Israel.'  " 
^     The  lips  of  Tigranes  drew  down- 
ward with  contempt,  as  he  said  : 

"Judah  was  a  captive  by  the 
waters  of  Babylon,  and  the  sons  of 
Jacob   were    in    bondage    to    our 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 

kings.  The  tribes  of  Israel  are 
scattered  through  the  mountains 
like  lost  sheep,  and  from  the 
remnant  that  dwells  in  Judea 
under  the  yoke  of  Rome  neither 
star  nor  sceptre  shall  arise.'* 

"And  yet,"  answered  Artaban, 
"it  was  the   Hebrew  Daniel,  the 
mighty   searcher    of    dreams,    the 
counsellor     of    kings,     the     wise 
Belteshazzar,  who  was  most  hon- 
oured  and   beloved   of  our  great 
King  Cyrus.      A  prophet  of  sure 
things     and     a     reader    of     the 
thoughts  of  God,    Daniel  proved 
himself  to  our  people.     And  these 
are    the   words    that    he   wrote." 
(Artaban    read    from    the   second 
roll  :)    "'Know,    therefore,     and 


19 


C  2 


.  h 


I   1 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 

understand  that  from  the  going  forth 
of  the   commandment   to   restore 
Jerusalem,  unto  the  Anointed  One, 
the  Prince,  the  time  shall  be  seven 
and  threescore  and  two  weeks.*  "  - 
"But,  my  son,"  said  Abgarus, 
doubtfully,    "these    are    mystical 
numbers.        Who     can     interpret 
therti,   or  who    can   find    the    key 
that  shall  unlock  their  meaning  ?  " 
Artaban     answered  :     "  It    has 
been    shown    to    me    and   to    my 
three      companions      among     the 
Magi  —  Caspar,     Melchior,     and 
Balthazzar.      We    have    searched 
the  ancient  tablets  of  Chaldea  and 
computed    the    time.     It    falls    in 
this  year.     We    have    studied  the 
sky,  and  in  the  spring  of  the  year 

20 


1/  I      ! 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 


we  saw  two   of  the  greatest  3tars 
draw  near  together  in  the  sign  of 
the   Fish,  which   is   the   house    of 
the  Hebrews.      We  also  saw  a  new 
star    there,   which    shone   for    one 
night  and    then   vanished.      Now 
again    the   two   great    planets   are 
meeting.      This     night     is     their 
conjunction.      My    three    brothers 
are  watching  at  the  ancient  Temple 
of  the  Seven  Spheres,  at  Borsippa, 
in   Babylonia,  and  I  am  watching 
here.     If  the    star    shines    again, 
they  will  wait  ten  days  for  me  at 
the  temple,  and  then  we  will  set 
out  together  for  Jerusalem,  to  see 
and  worship  the  promised  one  who 
shall   be   born   King  of  Israel.     I 
believe  the  sign  will  come.    I  have 

21 


f    M 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 

made   ready   for    the  journey.     I 
have     sold    my     house    and    my 
possessions,  and  bought  these  three 
jewels-a  sapphire,  a  ruby,  and  a 
pearl— to  carry  them  as  tribute  to 
the  Kn7g.     And  I  ask  you  to  go 
with   me  on   the  pilgrimage,   that 
we  may  have  joy  together  in  finding 
the  Prince  who  is  worthy  to  be 
served." 

While  he  was  speaking  he  thrust 
his  hand  into  the  inmost  fold  of 
his  girdle  and  drew  out  three  great 
gems— one  blue  as  a  fragment  of 
the  night  sky,  one  redder  than  a 
ray  of  sunrise,  and  one  as  pure  as 
the    peak    of   a    snow    mountain 
at  twilight-and  laid  them  on  the 
out-spread  linen  scrolls  before  him. 

22 


i   I 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 


But  his  friends  looked  on  with 

strange  and  alien  eyes.      A  veil  of 

doubt    and    mistrust    came    over 

their  faces,  like  a  fog  creeping  up 

from  the  marshes  to  hide  the  hills. 

They  glanced  at  each  other  with 

looks  of  wonder  and  pity,  as  those 

who    have    listened    to    incredible 

sayings,  the  story  of  a  wild  vision, 

or  the  proposal  of  an  impossible 

enterprise. 

At  last  Tigranes  said  :  "  Artaban, 
this  is  a  vain  dream.  It  comes 
from  too  much  looking  upon  the 
stars  and  the  cherishing  of  lofty 
thoughts.  It  would  be  wiser  to 
spend  the  time  in  gathering  money 
for  the  new  fire-temple  at  Chala. 
No  king  will  ever  rise  from  the 


23 


)    I 


/ 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 

broken  race  of  Israel,  and  no  end 
will  ever  come  to  the  eternal  strife 
of  light  and  darkness.  He  who 
looks  for  it  is  a  chaser  of  shadows. 
Farewell.'* 

And  another  said  :  "  Artaban,  J 
have  no  knowledge  of  these  things, 
and  my  office  as  guardian  of  the 
royal  treasure  binds  me  liere.  The 
quest  is  not  for  me.  But  may  thy 
steps  be  prospered  wherever  thou 
goest.     So,  farewell." 

And  another  said  :  « I  am  ill  and 
unfit  for  hardship,  but  there  is  a 
man  among  my  servants  whom  I 
will  send  with  thee  when  thou 
goest,  to  bring  me  word  how  thou 
far  est." 

But  Abgarus,  the  oldest  and  the 

24 


THE    SIGN    IN    TKi.    SKY 

one  who  loved  Artaban  the  best, 
lingered  after  the  others  had  gone, 
and    said,  gravely  :   "  My    son,    it 
may  be  that  the  light  of  truth  is  in 
this  sign  that  has  appeared  in  the 
skies,  and  then  it  will  surely  lead 
to    the    Prince    and    the    mighty 
brightness.     Or  it  may  be  that  it 
is  only  a  shadow  of  the  light,  as 
Tigranes  has  said,  and  then  he  who 
follows  it  will   have   only  a  long 
pilgrimage  and    an  empty  search. 
^  But  it  is  better  to  follow  even  the 
shadow  of  the  best  than  to  remain 
content  with  the  worst.    And  those 
who  would  see  wonderful  things 
must  often  be  ready  to  travel  alone. 
I  am  too  old  for  this  journey,  but 
my  heart  shall  be  a  companion  of 

25 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 

the  pilgrimage  day  and  night,  and 
I  shall  know  the  end  of  thy  quest. 
Go  in  peace." 

So  one  by  one  they  went  out  of 
the  azure  chamber  with  its  silver 
stars,    and    Artaban    was    left    in 
solitude. 

He  gathered  up  the  jewels  and 
replaced  them  in  his  girdle.  For 
a  long  time  he  stood  and  watched 
the  flame  that  flickered  and  sank 
upon  the  altar.  Then  he  crossed 
the  hall,  lifted  the  heavy  curtain, 
and  passed  out  between  the  dull 
red  pillows  of  porphyry  to  the 
terrace  on  the  roof. 

The  shiver  that  thrills  through 
the  earth  ere  she  rouses  from  her 
night  sleep  had  already  begun,  and 

26 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 

the  cool  wind  that  heralds  the 
daybreak  was  drawing  downward 
from  the  lofty,  snow-traced  ravines 
of  Mount  Orontes.  Birds,  half 
awakened,  crept  and  chirped  among 
the  rustling  leaves,  and  the  smell 
of  ripened  grapes  came  in  brief 
wafts  from  the  arbours. 

Far  over  the  eastern  plain  a 
white  mist  stretched  like  a  lake. 
But  where  the  distant  peak  of 
Zagros  serrated  the  western  hori- 
zon the  sky  was  clear.  Jupiter 
and  Saturn  rolled  together  like 
drops  of  lambent  flame  about  to 
blend  in  one. 

As  Artaban  watched  them,  be- 
hold, an  azure  spark  was  born  out 
of  the  darkness  beneath,  rounding 

27 


THE    SIGN    IN    THE    SKY 

itself  with   purple  splendors  to  a 
crimson  sphere,  and  spiring  upward 
through  rays  of  saffron  and  orange 
into    a   point    of    white    radiance. 
Tiny    and    infinitely   remote,    yet 
perfect  in  every  part,   it  pulsated 
in    the  enormous  vault  as   if  the 
three  jewels  in  the  Magian's  breast 
had  mingled  and  been  transformed 
into  a  living  heart  of  light. 

^  He  bowed  his  head.   He  covered 
his  brow  with  his  hands. 

"  Jt  is  the  sign,"  he  said.  "The 
King  is  coming,  and  I  will  go  to 
meet  him.'* 


*m- 


28 


3  a 

ard 
ige 
ice. 
yet 
ted 
the 
ast 
ed 

ed 

he 
to 


BY    THE    WATERS 
OF    BABYLON 

All  night  long  Vasda,  the  swiftest 
of  Artaban's  horses,  had  been  wait- 
ing, saddled  and  bridled,  in  her 
stall,  pawing  the  ground  impatiently, 
and  shaking  her  bit  as  if  she  shared 
the  eagerness  of  her  master's  pur- 
pose, though  she  knew  not  its 
meaning. 

Before  the  birds  had  fully  roused 
to  their  strong,  high,  joyful  chant 
of  morning  song,  before  the  white 
mist  had  began  to  lift  lazily  from 
the  plain,  the  other  wise  man  was 

31 


BY    THE    WATERS    OF    BABYLON 

in  the  saddle,  riding  swiftly  along 
the  high-road,  which  skirted  the 
base  of  Mount  Orontes,  westward. 
How  close,  how  intimate  is  the 
comradeship  between  a  man  and 
his  favorite  horse  on  a  long  journey. 
It  is  a  silent,  comprehensive  friend- 
ship, an  intercourse  beyond  the 
need  of  words. 

They  drink  at  the  same  wayside 
springs,  and  sleep  under  the  same 
guardian  stars.  They  are  conscious 
together  of  the  subduing  spell  of 
nightfall  and  the  quickening  joy  of 
daybreak.  The  master  shares  his 
evening  meal  with  his  hungry 
companion,  and  feels  the  soft, 
moist  lips  caressing  the  palm  of  his 
hand  as  they  close  over  the  morsel 

32 


BY    THE    WATERS    OF    BABYLON 

of  bread.     In  the  gray  dawn  he  is 
roused  from    his   bivouac   by  the 
gentle  stir  of  a  warm,  sweet  breath 
over  his   sleeping  face,  and  looks 
up   into  the    eyes   of  his  faithful 
fellow-traveller,  ready  and  waiting 
for  the  toil  of  the  day.     Surely, 
unless  he  is  a  pagan  and  an  un- 
believer, by  whatever  name  he  calls 
upon  hh  God,  he  will  thank  Him 
for   this   voiceless   sympathy,  this 
dumb  affection,  and   his  morning 
prayer  will  embrace  a  double  bless- 
ing— God  bless  us  both,  and  keep 
our  feet  from  falling  and  our  souls 
from  death  ! 

And  then,  through  the  keen 
morning  air,  the  swift  hoofs  beat 
their  spirited  music  along  the  road, 

33  n 


|i!' 


!* 


BY    THE    WATERS    OF    BABYLON 

keeping  time  to  the  pulsing  of  two 
hearts  t '  at  are  moved  with  the  same 
eager  desire— to  conquer  space,  to 
devour  the  distance,  to  attain  the 
goal  of  the  journey. 

Artaban  must,  indeed,  ride  wise- 
ly and  well  if  he  would  keep  the 
appointed    hour    with    the    other 
Magi  ;  for  the  route  was  a  hundred 
and  Rfty  parasangs,  and  fifteen  was 
the  utmost  that  he  could  travel  in 
a    day.     But    he    knew    Vasda's 
strength,  and  pushed  forward  with- 
out   anxiety,    making    the    fixed 
distance    every    day,    though    he 
must^  travel   late   into   the  night, 
and  in  the  morning  long  before 
sunrise. 

He    passed    along    the    brown 

14 


BY    THE    WATERS    OF    BABYLON 

slopes  of  Mount  Orontes,  furrowed 
by  the  rocky  courses  of  a  hundred 
torrents. 

Ke  crossed  the  level  plains  of 
the  Nisaeans,  where  the  famous 
herds  of  horses,  feeding  in  the 
wide  pastures,  tossed  their  heads 
at  Vasda's  approach,  and  galloped 
away  with  a  thunder  of  many 
hoofs,  and  flocks  of  wild  birds 
rose  suddenly  from  the  swampy 
meadows,  wheeling  in  great  circles 
with  a  shining  flutter  of  innumer- 
able wings  and  shrill  cries  of 
surprise. 

^  He  traversed  the  fertile  fields  of 
Concabar,  where  the  dust  from  the 
threshing-floors  filled  the  air  with 
a   golden    mist,    half    hiding   the 

25  J)  2 


BY    THE    WATERS    OF    BABYLON 

huge  temple   of  Astarte  with   its 
four  hundred  pillars. 

At  Baghistan,  among  the  rich 
gardens  watered  by  fountains  from 
the  rock,  he  looked  up  at  the 
mountain  thrusting  its  immense 
rugged  brow  out  over  the  road, 
and  saw  the  figure  of  King  Darius 
tramping  upon  his  fallen  foes,  and 
the  proud  list  of  his  wars  and  con- 
quests graven  high  upon  the  fa'^e 
of  the  eternal  cliff. 

Over  many  a  cold  and  desolate 
pass,  crawling  painfully  across  the 
wind-swept  shoulders  of  tLe  hills  ; 
down  many  a  black  mountain- 
gorge,  where  the  river  roared  and 
raced  before  him  like  a  savage 
guide  ;  across  many  a  smiling  vale, 

36 


Its 


BY    THE    WATERS    OF    BABYLON 

with  terraces  of  yellow  limestone 
full    of    vines    and    fruit    trees  ; 
through  the  oak  groves  of  Carine 
and    the    dark    Gates    of    Zagros, 
walled  in  by  precipices  ;  into  the 
i*ncient  city  of  Chala,   where   the 
people  of  Samaria  had  been  kept 
in    captivity   long   ago  ;   and   out 
again  by  the  mighty  portal,  riven 
through  the  encircling  hills,  where 
he   saw    the    image   of  the    High 
Priest  of  the   Magi  sculptured  on 
the  wall  of  rock,  with  hand  uplifted 
as    if  to    bless    the    centuries    of 
pilgrims  ;  past  the  entrance  of  the 
narrow  defile,  filled  from  end   to 
end  with  orchards  of  peaches  and 
figs, through  which  the  river  Gyndes 
foamed  down  to  meet  him  ;  over 

37 


i>  I 


BY   THE  WATERS    OF    BABYLON 

the    broad    rice-fields,   where    the 
autumnal    vapours     spread     their 
deathly    mists  ;    following    along 
the    course    of    the    river,    under 
tremulous  shadows  of  poplar  and 
tamarind,  among  the  lower  hills  ; 
and  out  upon  the  flat  plain,  where 
the  road  ran  straight  as  an  arrow 
throiigh     the     stubble-fields     and 
parched    meadows  ;   past    the    city 
of  Ctesiphon,  where  the  Parthian 
emperors    reigned,    and    the    vast 
metropolis  of  Seleucia  which  Alex- 
ander   built  ;   across    the    swirling 
floods    of    Tigris    and    the    many 
channels    of    Euphrates,    flowing 
yellow   through    the  corn-lands— - 
Artaban   p  essed  onward  until  he 
arrived,  at  nightfall,  of  the  tenth 

36 


BY    THE    WATERS    OF    BABYLON 

day,  beneath  the  shattered  walls  of 
populous  Babylon. 

Vasda  was  almost  spent,  and  he 
would  gladly  have  turned  into  the 
city  to  find  rest  and  refreshment 
for  himself  and  for  her.  But  he 
knew  that  it  was  three  hours' 
journey  yet  to  get  to  the  Temple 
of  the  Seven  Spheres,  and  he  must 
reach  the  place  by  midnight  if  he 
would  find  his  comrades  waiting. 
So  he  did  not  halt,  but  rode  steadily 
across  the  stubble-fields. 

A  grove  of  date-palms  made  an 
island  of  gloom  in  the  pale  yellow 
sea.  As  she  passed  into  the  shadow 
Vasda  slackened  her  pace,  and  began 
to  pick  her  way  more  carefully. 

Near    the    farther    end    of  the 

39 


( 


("■ 


BY    THE    WATERS    OF    BABYLON 

darkness  an  access  of  caution  seemed 
to  fall  upon  her.  She  scented  some 
danger  or  difficulty  ;  it  was  not  in 
her  heart  to  fly  from  it— only  to 
be  prepared  for  it,  and  to  meet  it 
wisely,  as  a  good  horse  should  do. 
The  grove  was  close  and  silent  as 
the  tomb  ;  not  a  leaf  rustled,  not 
a  bii*d  sang. 

She  felt  her  steps  before  her 
delicately,  carrying  her  head  low, 
and  sighing  now  and  then  with 
apprehension.  At  last  she  gave  a 
quick  breath  of  anxiety  and  dismay, 
and  stood  stock-still,  quivering  in 
every  muscle,  before  a  dark  object 
in  the  shadow  of  the  last  palm-tree. 

Artaban  dismounted.     The  dim 
starlight   revealed   the  form  of  a 

40 


BY    THE  WATERS    OF    BABYLON 

man  lying  across  the  road.  His 
humble  dress  and  the  outline  of 
his  haggard  face  showed  that  he 
was  probably  one  of  the  poor 
Hebrew  exiles  who  still  dwelt  in 
great  numbers  in  the  vicinity.  His 
pallid  skin,  dry  and  yellow  as 
parchment,  bore  the  mark  of  the 
deadly  fever  which  ravaged  the 
marsh-lands  in  autumn.  The  chill 
of  death  was  in  his  lean  hand,  and 
as  Artaban  released  it,  the  arm  fell 
back  inertly  upon  the  motionless 
breast. 

He  turned  away  with  a  thought 
of  pity,  consigning  the  body  to 
that  strange  burial  which  the 
Magians  deemed  most  fitting — 
the    funeral    of   the    desert,    from 

41 


?!  'i 

ill 


BY    THE    WATERS    OF    BABYLON 

which  the  kites  and  vultures  rise 
on  dark  wings,  and  the  beasts  of 
prey  slink  furtively  away,  leaving 
only  a  heap  of  white  bones  in  the 
sand. 

But,  as  he  turned,  a  long,  faint, 
ghostly  sigh  came  from  the  man's 
lips.  The  brown,  bony  fingers 
closed  convulsively  on  the  hem  of 
the  Magian's  robe  and  held  him 
fast. 

Artaban's  heart  leaped  to  his 
throat,  not  with  fear,  but  with  a 
dumb  resentment  at  the  impor- 
tunity of  this  blind  delay. 

How  could  he  stay  here  in  the 
darkness  to  minister  to  a  dying 
stranger  ?  What  claim  had  this 
unknown  fragment  of  human  life 

42 


BY    THE    WATERS    OF    BABYLON 

upon  his  compassion  or  his  service  ? 
If  he  lingered  but  for  an  hour  he 
could  hardly  reach  Borsippa  at  the 
appointed  time.  His  companions 
would  think  he  had  given  up  the 
journey.  They  wou'd  go  without 
him.     He  would  lose  '.is  q  lest. 

But  if  he  went  on  new,  the  man 
would  surely  die.  If  he  stayed, 
life  might  be  restored.  His  spirit 
throbbed  and  fluttered  with  the 
urgency  of  the  crisis.  Should  he 
risk  the  great  reward  of  his  divine 
faith  for  the  sake  of  a  single  deed 
of  human  love  ?  Should  he  turn 
aside,  if  only  for  a  moment,  from 
the  following  of  the  star,  to  give  a 
cup  of  cold  water  to  a  poor  perish- 
ing Hebrew  ? 

43 


BY    THE    WATERS    OF    BABYLON 

"  God  of  truth  and  purity,"  he 
prayed,  "direct  me  in  the  holy 
path,  the  way  of  wisdom  which 
Thou  only  knowest." 

Then  he  turned  back  to  the  sick 
man.  Loosening  the  grasp  of  his 
hand,  he  carried  him  to  a  little 
mound  at  the  foot  of  the  palm- 
tree: 

He  unbound  the  thick  folds  of 
the  turban  and  opened  the  garment 
above  the  sunken  breast.  He 
brought  water  from  one  of  the 
small  canals  near  by,  and  moistened 
the  sufferer's  brow  and  mouth. 
He  mingled  a  draught  of  one  of 
those  simple  but  potent  remedies 
which  he  carried  always  in  his 
girdle  — for    the     Magians    were 

44 


n: 


BY    THE    WATERS    OF    BABYLON 

physicians  as  well  as  astrologers — 
and  poured  it  slowly  between 
the  colourless  lips.  Hour  after 
hour  he  laboured  as  only  a 
skilful  healer  of  disease  can  do  ; 
and,  at  last,  the  man's  strength 
returned  ;  he  sat  up  and  looked 
about  him. 

"  Who  art  thou  ?  "  he  said,  in 
the  rude  dialect  of  the  country, 
"and  why  hast  thou  sought  me 
here  to  bring  back  my  life  } " 

"  I  am  Artaban  the  Magian,  of 
the  city  of  Ecbatana,  and  I  am 
going  to  Jerusalem  in  search  of 
one  who  is  to  be  born  King  of  the 
Jews,  a  great  Prince  and  Deliverer 
of  all  men.  I  dare  not  delay  any 
longer  upon  my  journey,  for  the 

45 


fi 


I 


/ 


BY    THE    WATERS    OF    BABYLON 

caravan  that  has  waited  for  me 
may  depart  without  me.  But  see, 
here  is  all  that  I  have  left  of  bread 
and  wine,  and  here  is  a  potion  of 
healing  herbs.  When  thy  strength 
IS  restored  thou  canst  find  the 
dwellings  of  the  Hebrews  among 
the  houses  of  Babylon." 

T^e   Jew   raised    his   trembling 
hand  solemnly  to  heaven. 

"  Now  may  the  God  of  Abraham 
and  Isaac  and  Jacob  bless  and 
prosper  the  journey  of  the  merci- 
ful, and  bring  him  in  peace  to  his 
desired  heaven.  But  stay  ;  I  have 
nothing  to  give  thee  in  return- 
only  this  :  that  I  can  tell  thee 
where  the  Messiah  must  be  sought. 
For  our  proph  ts  have  said  that  he 

46 


BY    THE    WATERS    OF    BABYLON 

should  be  born  not  in  Jerusalem, 
but  in  Bethlehem  of  Judah.  May 
the  Lord  bring  thee  in  safety  to 
that  place,  because  thou  hast  had 
pity  upon  the  sick." 

It  was  already  long  past  mid- 
night. Artaban  rode  in  haste,  and 
Vasda,  restored  by  the  brief  rest, 
ran  eagerly  through  the  silent  plain 
and  swam  the  channels  of  the  river. 
She  put  forth  the  remnant  of  her 
strength,  and  fled  over  the  ground 
like  a  gazelle. 

But  the  first  beam  of  the  sun 
sent  her  shadow  before  her  as  she 
entered  upon  the  final  stadium  of 
the  journey,  and  the  eyes  of  Arta- 
ban, anxiously  scanning  the  great 
mound  of  Nimrod  and  the  Temple 

47 


BY    THE    WATERS    OF    BABYLON 

of  the  Seven  Spheres,  could  discern 
no  trace  of  his  friends. 

The  many-coloured  terraces  of 
black  and  orange  and  red  and 
yellow  and  green  and  blue  and 
white,  shattered  by  the  convulsions 
of  nature,  and  crumbling  under 
the  repeated  blows  of  human 
violence,  still  glittered  like  a  ruined 

rainbow  in  the  morning  light. 
Artaban  rode  swiftly  around  the 

hill.     He  dismounted  and  climbed 

to  the  highest  terrace,  looking  out 

towards  the  west. 

The    huge    desolation 

marshes    stretched    away 

horizon    and    the    border 

desert.       Bitterns    stood 


of 

to 

of 

by 


the 
the 
the 
the 


stagnant  pools  and  jackals  skulked 


48 


BY    THE    WATERS    OF    BABYLON 


through  the  low  bushes  ;  but  there 
was  no  sign  of  the  caravan  of  the 

near. 


wise  men,  far  or 


At  the  edge  of  the  terrace  he 
saw  a  little  cairn  of  broken  bricks, 
and  under  them  a  piece  of  parch- 
ment. He  caught  it  up  and  read  : 
"We  have  waited  past  the  mid- 
night, and  can  delay  no  longer. 
We  go  to  find  the  King.  Follow 
us  across  the  desert." 

Artaban  sat  down  upon  the 
ground  and  covered  his  head  in 
despair. 

"How  can  I  cross  the  desert,'* 
said  he,  "  with  no  food  and  with  a 
spent  horse  ?  I  must  return  to 
Babylon,  sell  my  sapphire,  and  buy 
a  train   of  camels,  and   provision 

49 


B\    THE    WATERS    OF    BABYLON 

for  the  journey.  I  may  never 
overtake  my  friends.  Only  God 
the  merciful  knows  whether  I 
shall  not  lose  the  sight  /^f  the 
King  because  I  tarried  to  show 
mercy." 


50 


FOR   THE    SAKE 
OF     A     LITTLE     CHILD 


E  2 


i 


i! 


FOR    THE    SAKE 
OF   A    LITTLE    CHILD 

There  was  a  silence  in  the  Hall 
of  Dreams,  where  I  was  listening 
to  the  story  of  the  Other  Wise 
Man.  And  through  this  silence  I 
saw,  but  very  dimly,  his  figure 
passing  over  the  dreary  undula- 
tions of  the  desert,  high  upon  the 
back  ot  his  camel,  rocking  steadil/ 
onward  like  a  ship  over  the  waves. 

The  land  of  death  spread  its 
cruel  net  around  him.  The  stony 
wastes  bore  no  fruit  but  briers  and 
thorns.     The  dark  ledges  of  rock 

53 


^"j 


FOR    THE    SAKE    OF    A    LITTLE    CHILD 

thrust  themsf^h.-es  :'hove  the  surface 
here  and  there,  like  the  bones  of 
perished  monsters.      Arid  and  in- 
hospitable   mountain    r^nc       rose 
before    him,    furrowed    with    dry 
channels  of  ancient  torrents,  white 
and  ghastly  as  scars  on  the  face  of 
nature.  Shifting  hills  of  treacherous 
sand  were  heaped  like  tombs  along 
the  horizon.      By  day,    the   fierce 
heat  pressed  its  intolerable  burden 
on  the  quivering  air  ;  and  no  living 
creature     moved    on     the    dumb, 
swooning   earth,  but    tiny  jerboas 
scuttling     through     the     parched 
bushes,  or  liza   is  vanish-  ig  in  the 
clefts  of  the  rock.     By  night  the 
jackals  prowled  and  barked  in  the 
distance,   and   the   lion  made   the 

54 


'II 


FOR    THE    SAKE    OF   A    LITTLE    CHILD 

black  ravines  echo  with  his  hollow 
roaring,  while  a  bitter,  blighting 
chill  followed  the  fever  of  the  day. 
Through  heat  and  cold,  the  Magian 
moved  steadily  onward. 

Then  I  saw  the  gardens  and 
orchards  of  Damascus  watered  by 
the  streams  of  Abana  and  Pharpar, 
with  their  sloping  swards  inlaid 
with  bloom,  and  their  thickets  of 
myrrh  and  roses.  I  saw  also  the 
loiig,  snowy  ridge  of  Hermon,  and 
the  ark  groves  of  cedars,  and  the 
valley  c  the  Jordan,  and  the  blue 
waters  oi  the  Lake  of  Galilee,  and 
the  fertile  plain  of  Esdraelon,  and 
the  hills  of  Ephraim,  and  the  high- 
lands of  Judah.  Through  all  these 
I   followed  the   figure  of  Artaban 

55 


i  a 


i 


FOR    THE    SAKE    OF   A    LITTLE    CHILD 

moving  steadily  onward  until  he 
arrived  at  Bethlehem.  And  it  was 
the  third  day  after  the  three  wise 
men  had  com.e  to  that  place  and 
had  found  Mary  and  Joseph,  with 
the  young  child,  Jesus,  and  had 
lain  their  gifts  of  gold  and  frank- 
incense and  myrrh  at  his  feet. 

Then  the  other  wise  man  drew 
near,  weary,  but  full  of  hope, 
bearing  his  ruby  and  his  pearl  to 
offer  to  the  King.  "For  now  at 
last,"  he  said,  "  I  shall  surely  find 
him,  though  it  be  alone,  and  later 
than  my  brethren.  This  is  the 
place  of  which  the  Hebrew  exile 
told  me  that  the  prophets  had 
spoken,  and  here  I  shall  behold 
the  rising  of  the  great  light.     But 

56 


FOR    THE    SAKE    OF    A    LITTLE    CHILD 

I  must  inquire  about  the  visit  of  my 
brethren,  and  to  what  house  the 
star  directed  them,  and  to  whom 
they  presented  their  tribute." 

The  streets  of  the  village  seemed 
to  be  deserted,  and  Artaban  won- 
dered whether  the  men  had  all 
gone  up  to  the  hill-pastures  to 
bring  down  their  sheep.  From  the 
open  door  of  a  low  stone  cottage 
he  heard  the  sound  of  a  woman's 
voice  singing  softly.  He  entered 
and  found  a  young  mother  hushing 
her  baby  to  rest.  She  told  him  of 
the  strangers  from  the  far  East 
who  had  appeared  in  the  village 
three  days  ago,  and  how  they  said 
that  a  star  had  guided  them  to  the 
place   where    Joseph   of  Nazareth 

51 


'Hi 


Ell' 


«.:( 


ii 


FOR    THE    SAKE    OF   A    LITTLE    CHILD 

was  lodging  with  his  wife  and  her 
new-born  child,  and  how  they  had 
paid   reverence    to    the  child  and 
given  him  many  rich  gifts. 
S"  But  the  travellers  disappeared 
again,"  she  continued,  "as  suddenly 
as  they  had  come.    We  were  afraid 
at  the  strangeness    of  their  visit. 
We  could  not  understand  it.    The 
man  of  Nazareth  took  the  babe  and 
his  mother  and  fled  away  that  same 
night  secretly  and  it  was  whispered 
that  they  were  going  far  away  to 
Egypt.    Ever  since,  there  has  been 
a  spell  upon   the  village  ;    some- 
thing evil  hangs  over  it.   They  say 
that  the  Roman  soldiers  are  coming 
from  Jerusalem  to  force  a  new  tax 
from  us,  and  the  men  have  driven 

58 


FOR    THE    SAKE    OF   A    LITTLE    CHILD 


the  flocks  and  herds  far  back 
among  the  hills,  and  hidden  them- 
selves to  escape  it." 

Artaban  listened  to  her  gentle, 
timid  speech,  and  the  child  in  her 
arms  looked  up  in  his  face  and 
smiled,  stretching  out  its  rosy  hands 
to  grasp  at  the  winged  circle  of 
gold  on  his  breast.  His  heart 
warmed  to  the  touch.  It  seemed 
like  a  greeting  of  love  and  trust  to 
one  who  had  journeyed  long  in 
loneliness  and  perplexity,  fighting 
with  his  own  doubts  and  fears,  and 
following  a  light  that  was  veiled  in 
clouds. 

"  Might  not  this  child  have  been 
the  promised  Prince  .?  "  he  asked 
within  himself,  as  he  touched  its 

39 


4    I 


'-1 


m 


.'■I  ■  • 

w>  : 


FOR    THE    SAKE    OF    A    LITTLE    CHILD 

soft  cheek.  "Kings  have  been 
born  ere  now  in  lowlier  houses 
than  this,  and  the  favourite  of  the 
stars  may  rise  even  from  a  cottage. 
But  it  has  not  seemed  good  to  the 
God  of  wisdom  to  reward  my 
search  so  soon  and  so  easily.  The 
one  whom  I  seek  has  gone  before 
me  ;  and  now  I  must  follow  the 
King  to  Egypt." 

The  young  mother  laid  the  babe 
in  Its  cradle,  and  rose  to  minister 
to  the  wants  of  the  strange  guest 
that  fate  had  brought  into  her 
house.  She  set  food  before  him, 
the  plain  fare  of  peasants,  but 
willingly  offered,  and  therefore 
full  of  refreshment  for  the  soul  as 
well   as    for   the    body.      Artaban 

60 


FOR    THE    SAKE    OF    A    LITTLE    CHILD 


accepted  It  gratefully  ;  and,  as  he 
ate^  the  child  fell  into  a  happy 
slumber,  and  murmured  sweetly 
in  its  dreams,  and  a  great  peace 
filled  the  quiet  room. 

But  suddenly  there  came  the 
noise  of  a  wild  confusion  and  up- 
roar in  the  streets  of  the  village,  a 
shrieking  and  wailing  of  women's 
voices,  a  clangour  of  brazen  trum- 
pets and  a  clashing  of  swords,  and 
a  desperate  cry  :  "The  soldiers  ! 
the  soldiers  of  Herod  !  They  are 
killing  our  children.'' 

The  young  mother's  face  grew 
white  with  terror.  She  clasped  her 
child  to  her  bosom,  and  crouched 
motionless  in  the  darkest  corner 
of  the   room,  covering  him  with 

61 


FOR    THE    SAKE    OF    A    LITTLE    CHILD 

the  folds  of  her  robe,  lest  he  should 
wake  and  cry. 

But  Artaban  went  quickly  and 
stood  in  the  doorway  of  the  house. 
His  broad  shoulders  filled  the  por- 
tal from  side  to  side,  and  the  peak 
of  his  white  cap  all  but  touched 
the  lintel. 

The  soldiers  came  hurrying  down 
the  street  with  bloody  hands  and 
dripping  swords.     At  the  sight  of 
the  stranger  in  his  imposing  dress 
they  hesitated  with  surprise.     The 
captain  of  the  band  approached  the 
threshold  to  thrust  him  aside.   But 
Artaban    did    not   stir.     His    face 
was  as  calm    as   though   he  were 
watching  the  stars,  and  in  his  eyes 
there  burned  that  steady  radiance 

62 


.. 

U 

;■■'    'l\ 
■'.X 

i 
1 

FOR    THE    SAKE    OF    A    LITTLE    CHILD 

before  which  even  the  half-tamed 
hunting  leopard  shrinks,  and  the 
fierce  bloodhound  pauses  in  his 
leap.  He  held  the  soldier  silently 
for  an  instant,  and  then  said  in  a 
low  voice  : 

"I  am  all  alone  in  this  place, 
and  I  am  waiting  to  give  this  jewel 
to  the  prudent  captain  who  will 
leave  me  in  peace." 

He  showed  the  ruby,  glistening 
in  the  hollow  of  his  hand  like  a 
great  drop  of  blood. 

The  captain  was  amazed  at  the 
splendour  of  the  gem.  The  pupils 
of  his  eyes  expanded  with  desire, 
and  the  hard  lines  of  greed  wrinkled 
around  his  lips.  He  stretched  out 
his  hand  and  took  the  ruby. 


m 


63 


FOR    THE    SAKE    OF    A    LITTLE    CHILD 

"  March  on  !  "  he  cried  to  his 
men,  "  there  is  no  child  here.  The 
house  is  still." 

The  clamour  and  the  clang  of 
arms  passed  down  the  street  as 
the  headlong  fury  of  the  chase 
sweeps  by  the  secret  covert  where 
the  trembling  deer  is  hidden. 
Artaban  re-entered  the  cottage.  He 
turned  his  face  to  the  east  and 
prayed  : 

"  God  of  truth,  forgive  my  sin  ! 
I  have  said  the  thing  that  is  not,  to 
save  the  life  of  a  child.  And  two 
of  my  gifts  are  gone.  I  have  spent 
for  man  that  which  was  meant  for 
God.  Shall  I  ever  be  worthy  to 
see  the  face  of  the  King  ?  " 

But    the    voice   of  the   woman, 

64 


FOR    THE    SAKE    OF    A    LITTLE    CHILD 

weeping   for   joy   in   the    shadow 
behind  him,  said  very  gently  : 

"Because  thou  hast  saved  the 
life  of  my  little  one,  may  the  Lord 
bless  thee  and  keep  thee  ;  the 
Lord  make  His  face  to  shine  upon 
thee  and  be  gracious  unto  thee  ; 
the  Lord  lift  up  His  countenance 
upon  thee  and  give  thee  peace." 


IN    THE    HIDDEN    WAY 
OF    SORROW 


\  *iil 


¥9 


•^"-^  *^i»'^M»s-twmufi>iTOftka»i.atea»£.i^i^ 


IN   THE-   HIDDEN   WAY 
OF    SORROW 

Then  again  there  was  a  silence  in 

the  Hall  of  Dreams,  deeper  and 

more    mysterious    than    the    first 

interval,  and  I  understood  that  the 

years  of  Artaban  were  flowing  very 

swiftly  under  the  stillness  of  that 

clinging  fog,  and  I  caught  only  a 

glimpse,    here   and  there,    of   the 

river  of  his  life   shining  through 

the    shadows    that    concealed    its 

course. 

I  saw   him   moving   among   the 
throngs  of  men  in  populous  Egypt, 

69 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


// 


% 


V. 


1.0 


I.I 


■^  Ilia 

If       1^ 
^        1^ 


2.5 
2.2 


[2.0 
1.8 


1.25  IIIIII.4 


1.6 


150mm 


V 


& 


/ . 


>   > 


/ 


/ 


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4^    MJ>., 


y.x 


IN  THE    HIDDEN  WAY  OF  SORROW 

seeking   everywhere   for  traces   of 
the  household  that  had  come  down 
from  Bethlehem,:and  finding  them 
under  the  spreading  sycamore  trees 
of    Heliopolis,    and    beneath    the 
walls    of    the    Roman    fortress    of 
New   Babylon   beside    the    Nile- 
traces  so  faint  and  dim  that  they 
vanished    before    him    continually, 
as    footprints   on    the    hard   river- 
sand   glisten   for   a   moment  with 
moisture  and  then  disappear. 

I  saw  him  again  at  the  foot  of 
the  pyramids,  which  lifted  their 
sharp  points  into  the  intense  saffron 
glow  of  the  sunset  sky,  changeless 
monuments  of  the  perishable  glory 
and  the  imperishable  hope  of  man. 
He    looked     up     into     the    vast 

70 


IN  THE    HIDDEN  WAY  OF  SORROW 

countenance  of  the  crouching 
Sphinx  and  vainly  tried  to  read 
the  meaning  of  the  calm  eyes  and 
smiling  mouth.  Was  it,  indeed, 
the  mockcx-y  of  all  effort  and  all 
aspiration,  as  Tigranes  had  said — 
the  cruel  jest  of  a  riddle  that  has 
no  answer,  a  search  that  never 
can  succeed  ?  Or  was  there  a  touch 
of  pity  and  encouragement  in  that 
inscrutable  smile— a  promise  that 
even  the  defeated  should  attain 
a  victory,  and  the  disappointed 
should  discover  a  prize,  and  the 
ignorant  should  be  made  wise,  and 
the  blind  should  see,  and  the 
wandering  should  come  into  the 
haven  at  last  ? 

I  saw  him  again  in  an  obscure 

71 


IN  THE    HIDDEN  WAY  OF  SORROW 

house  of  Alexandria,  taking  counsel 
with  a  Hebrew  rabbi.     The  vener- 
able man,  bending  over  the  rolls  of 
parchment  on  which  the  prophecies 
of  Israel  were  written,  read  aloud 
the  pathetic  words  which  foretold 
the    sufferings    of    the    promised 
Messiah— the  despised  and  rejected 
of  men,  the  man  of  sorrows  and 
the  acquaintance  of  grief. 

"And  remember,  my  son,"  said 
he,  fixing  his  deep-set  eyes  upon 
the  face  of  Artaban,  "the  King 
whom  you  are  se-king  is  not  to  be 
found  in  a  pakv..,  nor  among  the 
rich  and  powerful.  If  the  light  of 
the  world  and  the  glory  of  Israel 
had  been  appointed  to  come  with 
the  greatness  of  earthly  splendour, 

72 


IN  THE    HIDDEN  WAY  OF  SORROW 

it  must  have  appeared  long  ago. 
For  no  son  of  Abraham  will  ever 
again  rival  the  power  which  Joseph 
had  in  the  palaces  of  Egypt,  or  the 
magnificence  of  Solomon  throned 
between  the  lions  in  Jerusalem. 
But  the  light  for  which  the  world 
is  waiting  is  a  new  light,  the  glory 
that  shall  rise  out  of  patient  and 
triumphant  suffering.  And  the 
kingdom  which  is  to  be  established 
for  ever  is  a  new  kingdom,  the 
royalty  of  perfect  and  unconquer- 
able love. 

^'  I  do  not  know  how  this  shall 
come  to  pass,  nor  how  the  turbulent 
iiings  and  people  of  earth  shall  be 
brought  to  acknowledge  the  Mes- 
siah and  pay  homage  to  Him.    But 

73 


1 1 


IN  THE    HIDDEN   WAY  OF  SORROW 

this  I  know.  Those  who  seek  Him 
will  do  well  to  look  among  the 
poor  and  the  lowly,  the  sorrowful 
and  the  oppressed." 

So   I   saw  the    other  wise   man 
again    and    again,    travelling   from 
place  to  place,  and  searching  among 
the  people  of  the  dispersion,  with 
whom  the  little  family  from  Beth- 
lehem might,  perhaps,  have  found  a 
refuge.  He  passed  through  countries 
where  famine  lay  heavy  upon  the 
land,  and  the  poor  were  crying  for 
bread.     He  made  his  dwelling  in 
plague-stricken  cities  where  the  sick 
were  languishing  in  the  bitter  com- 
panionship of  helpless  misery.    He 
visited  the  oppressed  and  the  afflicted 
in     the    gloom     of    subterranean 

74 


IN  THE   HIDDEN  WAY  OF  SORROW 

prisons,  and  the  crowded  wretched- 
ness of  slave-markets,  and  the 
weary  toil  of  galley-ships.  In  all 
this  populous  and  intricate  world 
of  anguish,  though  he  found  none 
to  worship,  he  found  many  to  help. 
He  fed  the  hungry,  and  clothed 
the  naked,  and  healed  the  sick,  and 
comforted  the  captive  ;  and  his 
years  went  by  more  swiftly  than 
the  weaver's  shuttle  that  flashes 
back  and  forth  through  the  loom 
while  the  web  grows  and  the  in- 
visible pattern  Is  completed. 

It  seemed  almost  as  if  he  had 
forgotten  his  quest.  But  once  I 
saw  him  for  a  moment  as  he  stood 
alone  at  sunrise,  waiting  at  the  gate 
of  a  Roman  prison.     He  had  taken 

75 


I^  THE  HIDDEN  WAY  OF  SORROW 


from 


secret 


resting-place  in  his 
bosom   the  pearl,   the    last  of  his 
jewels.      As    he    looked    at    it,    a 
mellower  lustre,  a  soft  and  irides- 
cent light,  full  of  shifting  gleams 
of  azure  and  rose,  trembled  upon 
Its    surface.      It   seemed   to    have 
absorbed    some   reflection   of    the 
colours  of  the  lost  sapphire   and 
ruby.      So    the    profound,    secret 
purpose  of  a  noble  life  draws  into 
Itself  the  memories  of  past  joy  and 
past  sorrow.     All  that  has  helped 
It,  all  that  has  hindered  it,  is  trans- 
fused by  a  subtle  magic  into  its 
very   essence.      It    becomes   more 
luminous  and  precious  the  longer 
It  IS  carried  dose  to  the  warmth  of 
the  beating  heart. 


76 


.y\ 


IN  THE    HIDDEN  WAY  OF  SORROW 

Then,  at  last,  while  I  was  think- 
ing of  this  pearl,  and  of  its  meaning, 
I  heard  the  end  of  the  story  of  the 
Other  Wise  Man. 


77 


.y\ 


A   PEARL    OF   GREAT    PRICE 


A   PEARL 
OF    GREAT    PRICE 

Three-and-thirty  years  of  the 
life  of  Artaban  had  passed  away, 
and  he  was  still  a  pilgrim,  and  a 
seeker  after  light.  His  hair,  once 
darker  than  the  cliffs  of  Zagros, 
was  now  white  as  the  wintry  snow 
that  covered  them.  His  eyes,  that 
once  flashed  like  flames  of  fire, 
were  dull  as  embers  smouldering 
among  the  ashes. 

Worn  and  weary  and  ready  to 
die,  but  still  looking  for  the  King, 
he  had  come  for  the  last  time  to 

81  Q 


A    PEARL    OF    GREAT    PRICE 

Jerusalem.  He  had  often  visited 
the  holy  city  before,  and  had 
searched  through  all  its  lanes  and 
crowded  hovels  and  black  prisons 
without  finding  any  trace  of  the 
family  of  Nazarenes  who  had  fled 
from  Bethlehem  long  ago.  But 
now  it  seemed  as  if  he  must  make 
one  more  eifort,  and  something 
whispered  in  his  heart  that,  at  last 
he  might  succeed. 

It  was  the  season  of  the  Passover. 
The  city  was  thronged  with 
strangers.  The  children  of  Israel, 
scattered  in  far  lands  all  over  the 
world,  had  returned  to  the  Temple 
for  the  great  feast,  and  there  had 
been  a  confusion  of  tongues  in  the 
narrow  streets  for  many  days. 

82 


A    PEARL    OF    GREAT    PRICE 


But  on  this  day  there  was  a 
singular  agitation  visible  in  the 
multitude.  The  sky  was  veiled 
with  a  portentous  gloom,  and  cur- 
rents of  excitement  seemed  to  flash 
through  the  crowd  like  the  thrill 
which  shakes  the  forest  on  the  eve 
of  storm.  A  secret  tide  was 
sweeping  them  all  one  way.  The 
clatter  of  sandals,  and  the  soft, 
thick  sound  of  thousands  of  bare 
feet  shuffling  over  the  stones, 
flowed  unceasingly  along  the  street 
that  leads  to  the  Damascus  gate. 

Artaban  joined  company  with  a 
group  of  people  from  his  own 
country,  Parthian  Jews  who  had 
come  up  to  keep  the  Passover, 
and  inquired  of  them  the  cause  of 

83 


G2 


A    PEARL    OF    GREAT    PRICE 


the  tumult,  and  where  they  were 
going. 

"We  are  going,"  they  answered, 
"to  the  place  called  Golgotha, 
outside  the  city  walls,  where  there 
is  to  be  an  execution.  Have  you 
not  heard  what  has  happened  ? 
Two  famous  robbers  are  to  be 
crucified,  and  with  them  another, 
called  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  a  man 
who  has  done  many  wonderful 
works  among  the  people,  so  that 
they  love  him  greatly.  But  the 
priests  and  elders  have  said  that 
he  must  die,  because  he  gave  him- 
self out  to  be  the  Son  of  God. 
And  Pilate  has  sent  him  to  the 
cross  because  he  said  that  he  was 
the  *  King  of  the  Jews.'  " 

84 


A    PEARL    OF    GREAT    PRICE 

How  Strangely  these  familiar 
words  fell  upon  the  tired  heart  of 
Artaban  !  They  had  led  him  for 
a  lifetime  over  land  and  sea.  And 
now  they  came  to  him  darkly  and 
mysteriously  like  a  message  of 
despair.  The  King  had  arisen, 
but  He  had  been  denied  and  cast 
out.  He  was  about  to  perish. 
Perhaps  He  was  already  dying. 
Could  it  be  the  same  who  had 
been  born  in  Bethlehem  thirty- 
three  years  ago,  at  whose  birth  the 
star  had  appeared  in  heaven,  and 
of  whose  coming  the  prophets  had 
spoken  ? 

Artaban's  heart  beat  unsteadily 
with  that  troubled,  doubtful  appre- 
hension which  is  the  excitement  of 

85 


A    PEARL    OF    GREAT    PRICE 

old  age.  But  he  said  within  him- 
self :  "The  ways  of  God  are 
stranger  than  the  thoughts  of  men, 
and  it  may  be  that  I  shall  find  the 
King,  at  last,  in  the  hands  of  His 
enemies,  and  shall  come  in  time  to 
ofFer  my  pearl  for  His  ransom 
before  He  dies." 

*So  the  old  man  followed  the 
multitude  with  slow  and  painful 
steps  towards  the  Damascus  gate 
of  the  city.  Just  beyond  the 
entrance  of  the  guard-house  a 
troop  of  Macedonian  soldiers  came 
down  the  street,  dragging  a  young 
girl  with  torn  dress  and  dishevelled 
hair.  As  the  Magian  paused  to 
look  at  her  with  compassion,  she 
broke  suddenly  from  the  hands  of 

86 


A    PEARL    OF    GREAT    PRICE 

her  tormentors,  and  threw  herself 
at  his  feet,  clasping  him  around 
the  knees.  She  had  seen  his  white 
cap  and  the  winged  circle  on  his 
breast. 

"  Have  pity  on  me,"  she  cried, 
"  and  save  me,  for  the  sake  of  the 
God  of  Purity  !  I  also  am  a 
daughter  of  the  true  religion  which 
is  taught  by  the  Magi.  My  father 
was  a  merchant  of  Parthia,  but  he 
is  dead,  and  I  am  seized  for  his 
debts  to  be  sold  as  a  slave.  Save 
me  from  worse  than  death." 

Artaban  trembled. 

It  was  the  old  conflict  in  his 
soul,  which  had  come  to  him  in 
the  palm-grove  of  Babylon  and  in 
the    cottage    at    Bethlehem  —  the 

87 


A    PEARL    OF    GREAT    PRICE 

conflict  between  the  expectation  of 
faith  and  the  impulse  of  love. 
Twice  the  gift  which  he  had  con- 
secrated to  the  worship  of  religion 
had  been  drawn  from  his  hand  to 
the  service  of  humanity.  This  was 
the  third  trial,  the  ultimate  proba- 
tion, the  final  and  irrevocable  choice. 

Was  it  his  great  opportunity,  or 
his  last  temptation  ?  He  could 
not  tell.  One  thing  only  was  clear 
in  the  darkness  of  his  mind— it 
was  inevitable.  And  does  not  the 
inevitable  come  from  God  ? 

One  thing  only  was  sure  to  his 
divided  heart— to  rescue  this  help- 
less girl  would  be  a  true  deed  of 
love.  And  is  not  love  the  light  of 
the  soul  ? 

88 


A    PEARL    OF    GREAT    PRICE 

He  took  the  pearl  from  his 
bosom.  Never  had  it  seemed  so 
luminous,  so  radiant,  so  full  of 
tender,  living  lustre.  He  laid  it 
in  the  hand  of  the  slave. 

"  This  is  thy  ransom,  daughter  ! 
It  is  the  last  of  my  treasures  which 
I  kept  for  the  King." 

While  he  spoke,  the  darkness  of 
the  sky  thickened,  and  shuddering 
tremors  ran  through  the  earth, 
heaving  convulsively  like  the  breast 
of  one  who  struggles  with  might} 
grief. 

The  walls  of  the  houses  rocked 
to  and  fro.  Stones  were  loosened 
and  crashed  into  the  street.  Dust 
clouds  filled  the  air.  The  soldiers 
fled  in  terror,  reeling  like  drunken 

89 


A    PEARL    OF   GREAT    PRICE 


'I 


'!■  ;■ 


men.  But  Artaban  and  the  girl 
whom  he  had  ransomed  crouched 
helpless  beneath  the  wall  of  the 
Praetorium. 

What  had  he  to  fear  ?  What 
had  he  to  live  for  ?  He  had  given 
away  the  last  remnant  of  his  tribute 
for  the  King.  He  had  parted  with 
the  last  hope  of  finding  Him.  The 
quest  was  over,  and  it  had  failed. 
But,  even  in  that  thought,  accepted 
and  embraced,  there  was  peace.  It 
was  not  resignation.  It  was  not 
submission.  It  was  something 
more  profound  and  searching. 
He  knew  that  all  was  well,  be- 
cause he  had  done  the  best  that  he 
could,  from  day  to  day.  He  had 
been   true   to  the   light  that  had 

90 


A    PEARL    OF    GREAT    PRICE 

been  given  to  him.  He  had  looked 
for  more.  And  if  he  had  not  found 
it,  if  a  failure  was  all  that  came  out 
of  his  life,  doubtless  that  was  the 
best  that  was  possible.  He  had 
not  seen  the  revelation  of  "life 
everlasting,  incorruptible  and  im- 
mortal." But  he  knew  that  even 
if  he  could  live  his  earthly  life  over 
again,  it  could  not  be  otherwise 
than  it  had  been. 

One  more  lingering  pulsation  of 
the  earthquake  quivered  through 
the  ground.  A  heavy  tile,  shaken 
from  the  roof,  fell  and  struck  the 
old  man  on  the  temple.  He  lay 
breathless  and  pale,  with  his  grey 
head  resting  on  the  young  girl's 
shoulder,  and  the  blood  trickling 

91 


A    PEARL    OF    GREAT    PRICE 

from  the  wound.  As  she  bent 
over  him,  fearing  that  he  was  dead, 
there  came  a  voice  through  the 
twilight,  very  small  and  still,  like 
music  sounding  from  a  distance,  in 
which  the  notes  are  clear  but  the 
words  are  lost.  The  girl  turned 
to  see  if  someone  had  spoken  from 
thk  window  above  them,  but  she 
saw  no  one. 

Then  the  old  man's  lips  began 
to  move,  as  if  in  answer,  and  she 
heard  him  say  in  the  Parthian 
tongue  : 

"  Not  so,  my  Lord  :  For  when 
saw  I  thee  an  hungered  and  fed 
thee  .?  Or  thirsty,  and  gave  thee 
drink  ?  When  saw  I  thee  a  stran- 
ger, and  took  thee  in  ?    Or  naked, 

92 


A    PEARL    OF    GREAT    PRICE 

and  clothed  thee  ?  When  saw  I 
thee  sick  or  in  prison,  and  came 
unto  thee  ?  Three-and-thirty  years 
have  I  looked  for  thee ;  but  I  have 
never  seen  thy  face,  nor  ministered 
to  thee,  my  King." 

He  ceased,  and  the  sweet  voice 
came  again.  And  again  the  maid 
heard  it,  very  faintly  and  far  away. 
But  now  it  seemed  as  though  she 
understood  the  words  : 

"  Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  Inasmuch 
as  thou  hast  done  it  unto  one  of  the 
least  of  these  my  brethren,  thou  hast 
done  it  unto  me^ 

A  calm  radiance  of  wonder  and 
joy  lighted  the  pale  face  of  Artaban 
like  the  first  ray  of  dawn  on  a 
snowy  mountain  peak.     One  long> 

93 


I* 


A    PEARL    OF    GREAT    PRICE 

last  breath  of  relief  exhaled  gently 
^om  his  lips. 

His  journey  was  ended.  His 
treasures  were  accepted.  The 
Other  Wise  Man  had  found  the 
King. 


THE    END 


94 


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